he was a stalwart man
fierce eyes under bushy brows
here a foot there a foot
as if the zeeland clay
still stuck to his wooden clogs

unflinching uncompromising
sturdy in body and faith
a covenantal God on his side

chairman of the schoolboard
he had questioned me
not so much on pedagogical stuff
as on kuyperian principles.

the interview finished we stood outside
a front-end loader had dug a ditch
between church and school.
I called it a sphere-sovereignty ditch
he smiled . . . happy I knew the word

I pointed at the unfinished
block walls of the school
and asked how it was possible
that so few people with so little money . . .

He did not let me finish
his ruddy farmer’s hand
slammed on the roof of his car
surprised
I looked at him
and met almost jubilant eyes

with God young man
with God on our side
you hear
nothing is impossible